Hook Point to Kayak Island

Our airplane adventure had started the day before and brought us to Hook Point on Hinchinbrook Island. You can read more about that amazing day here.

Clouds rolled in midday, so after debating a bit about whether we should spend another night or move on, we decided to pack up and head further Southeast towards Kayak Island.

We had fond memories of meeting the same friends there two years ago, where kids had played in the shallow water, and we heard whales calling in the distance.

We took off and flew over large sandy islands separated by swaths of teal and blue water. Eventually, we crossed over the wide mouth of the Copper River and continued down the beach.

Eska decided she no longer liked the padded hat we had been using for her hearing protection. Since we hadn’t brought the standard hearing protection muffs we usually transition the kids to, we popped a headset on her, and to our amazement, she left it on.

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense that she would tolerate a headset more than hearing protection. With the headset she can hear us, music, and it doesn’t squeeze her head as tightly as some of the kids ear muffs. Shortly after this photo she was sound asleep.

This year, we opted to land on the Southeast end of the island and circled around the point and lighthouse before coming back to land. If time allowed, we would stop on the other side for the long, shallow, sandy beach the kids had enjoyed so much two years ago.

The island’s Southeast side has large rocky tidal areas with few places to land, but close to the southernmost point, we found a spot long enough for our 180/185.

With the weather, the backdrop of rugged mountains, the green swath of trees, large rocks scattered here and there, and plenty of sand and water, it was a spectacular view.

The shallow water was perfect for Eska to play in, and she made the most of it.

I was busy snapping pictures while the kids climbed rocks, caught small fish with their hands, splashed, and played.

We slowly made our way south, and the sand turned to larger rocks.

Visiting Kayak Island was one of the first trips Woodsen and I took together as a couple. One of the things that stuck out in my mind from that trip was the massive rocks that appeared to be blooming. We walked to a sandy beach and found a rock just like I remembered.

Kayak Island makes for great beach combing, and not too long into our walk, I found a colorful buoy that I decided was worth carrying back to the airplane.

The kids played on a rock resembling a train, then spent time trying to get Teddy the dog to climb up giant rocks to retrieve buoys.

Dinner time was approaching, so after much debate, we decided to head back to Cordova for dinner and a night at the Reluctant Fisherman, our friends’ favorite Cordova getaway spot.

We landed at the city strip, tied the airplanes down, grabbed what we needed overnight, and started walking to town. We enjoyed a late dinner at the Reluctant Fisherman, then headed down the hall to our room for a hot showers (with excellent water pressure), and a cozy beds.

The midnight sun was bright and the water glassy, so Atlee, Melozi, and I headed out for a picturesque walk in the harbor while Woodsen put the two littles to bed.

A lovely way to finish off another fantastic summer day in Alaska.